Air cooling and circulating device



1932- w. B. PLYMPTON ET AL 1,881,374

AIR COOLING AND CIRGULATING DEVICE Filed Jan. 21, 1928 I i i .20 F i l 5l l l I I E I 4 Patented Oct.- 4, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICEWILLIAM B. PLY'MPTON, DONALD PLYMPTON, AND RALPH- A. PLYMPTON, OIELLWOOD CITY, PENNSYLVANIA AIR COOLING AND CIRGULATING DEVICEApplication filed January 21, 1928. Serial No. 248,539.

This invention relates to refrigerators, more particularly to that classof refrigerators wherein there is employed an air cooling andcirculating device provided with a series of refrigerant-containingmembers spaced so as to provide air ducts or passages there-between.

It is an object of the invention to provide for maintaining a lowtemperature in the air ducts in the event of failure or temporary orpartial discontinuance of the circulation of the refrigerating medium.

l Vith these and other objects in view we have invented the deviceillustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a vertical section 1-1 of Figure 3;

Figure 2 is a front View of Figure 1 with parts broken away to show theauxiliary air cooling means of the present invention;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary top plan view of Figure 1.

Referring to the drawing, numeral 1 designates a casing open at the topfor the downward passage of air to be cooled and provided with a rearwall 2, a front wall 3 and two side Walls 4 and 5. The front wall 3termi nates somewhat short of the bottoms of the walls 2, d and 5providing an opening thus extending all the way across said front walland affording an outlet for cool air.

Contained within the casing 1 is an air cooling and circulating devicedesignated as a whole by numeral 7. This device includes a series ofupright, substantially parallel refrigerant-containing membersdesignated A, and thesemembers are spaced so as to provide air ducts orpassages B lying between successive refrigerant-containlng members. Eachrefrigerant-containing and circulating element A is made up of twometallic plates 8 and 9. The plate 8 is of the segmental shape shown inFigure 1 of the drawing, and the plate 9 is of the same shape. The plate8 has pressed therein as indicated at 10, a serpentine groove whichprojects at one side only'of the plate and extends from the top to thebottom thereof. The plate 9 closes the open sides of the groove so as toon the line produce a channel through which the liquid or gaseousrefrigerating medium is designed to be circulated. As best shown inFigure 1, it will be seen that the groove or channel is made up of aseries of straight portions which are parallel with the top edge of theelement, successive straight portions of the groove or channel beingconnected by elbow portions so as to aflord a continuous channel. Theplates Sand 9 are suitablyconnected, preferably by being spot-welded asindicated at 11, various sp0t welds being located in the portions of theplates which lie in mutual contact.

Successive refrigerant-containing members A are connected by short pipesections 12 and 13, the pipe sections 12 being near the bottoms of themembers and the pipe sections 13 being near the tops of the members.Each pipe is welded or otherwise connected to nipples pressed outwardlyfrom the respective plates, defining the ports in the plates andaffording communication between the channels of successiverefrigerantcontaining members. Inlet and outlet pipes 14 and 15 are alsoprovided to provide for maintaining the circulation of a refrigeratingmedium through the refrigerant-containing members.

Having connected a plurality of refrigerant-containing members in themanner described, the device is placed downwardly through the open topof the casing 1, the inlet and outlet pipes 14 and 15 being received inthe seats or notches 16 and 17 provided in the top edges of the sidewalls 4.- and 5. As best shown in Figure 1 of the drawing it will beseen that the front upright edges of the refrigerant-containing memberslie against the front wall 3 of the casing so as to close the front ofthe. air ducts B defined by successive refrigerant-containing members.The rear ends of the air ducts are closed by segmental plate 18 fittingsnugly the arcuate rear edges of the refrigerant-containing members andcontained within the casing.

In practice, one of the air cooling and circulating devices of thepresent invention is mounted in any form' of refrigerator, the top ofthe device being spaced slightly below the top of the refrigerator andthe bottom of the 'members A is cooled by direct contact with the cooledwalls of the members A, which members present very large cooling areasin a relatively small space.

Each air space is open throu hout its top for the entrance of air which%ecomes cool and flows downwardly by gravity and then is dischargedhorizontally through the discharge opening 6, and eventually rises tothe top of the refrigerator and then flows back to the top of thepresent device and thence downwardly through the air spaces or ducts,whereby a complete circulation of air is produced.

By reason of the fact that each air s ace or duct tapers downwardly, theweight 0 the larger volume of air in the upper portion of the ductforces the air in the lower portion thereof outwardly, through thedischarge opening 6, with considerable force and sufliclent to pro ect astream of air to a considerable distance beyond the air cooling andcirculating device.

It will be noted that the segmental refrigerant containers extendfromthe front wall 3 to the back wall 18, thus keeping separated suchair currents as may develop in the respective air chambers, and therebyeliminatmg the formation of any eddy currents as mlght otherwise developthrough a variation of temperature in the segmental containers. It isimportant to prevent edd currents, because eddy currents have a ten encyto retard circulation.

The auxiliary air cooling means of the present invention is a tank orreceptacle designated as 19 This tank is formed of a straight verticalfront wall 20 and side walls 21 and 22 and arcuate rear wall 23 so thatin cross section tank 19 has the same general "shape as the segmentalplates of the refrigerant-conta1n1ng members. The front wall 20 Y of thetank has a vertically extended portion 24 at the top thereof projectingbeyond the plane defined by the top edges of the side "and rear walls.The tank 19 is designed to fit snugly in the air ducts B betweensuccessive refrigerant-containing members A so that the sides 21 and 22of the tank are in close contact with the refrigerant-containingmembers. A tank 19 is inserted in each air duct B so that the front wall20 of the tank is in close contact with and bears against the front wall3 of the casing 1, and is held securely in position by a single bolt 25passmg through the extension 24 and the adjacent portion of the wall 3.It will be seen that the extension 24 provides for convenient access tothe bolt 25, in order to quickly insert or remove the tank and alsoprovides for keeping the bolt and bolt hole from being immersed in thebrine or other liquid contained within the tank, thereby minimizingcorrosion of the bolt and leakage through the bolt hole.

It will now be understood that each air duct B is defined by a pair ofsuccessive refrigerant-containing members A, the arcuate rearwall 23 ofthe tank 19 and the arcuate plate 18. The top of the air duct is open,and the 3 of the drawing, it will be seen that the sides 21 and 22 ofthe tank lie in close contact with successive refrigerant-containingmembers A so that passage of the refrigerating medium there-through willconstantly maintain'the temperature of the refrigerating medium withinthe tank 19 at a low temperature. Thus it will be seen that should thecirculation of the refrigerating medium through the 'members A fail orbe impeded the cooled refrigerating medium contained within the tank 19,will serve to cool the air passing through the ducts B until thecirculation through the members A can be renewed or the defect remedied.The tank,19

constitutes a hold-over in the sense that it is cooled by therefrigerant-containing members A and in turn cools air passing in theducts B in the event that the circulation of the refrigerating mediumfails or istemporarily or partially discontinued. It will also be seenthat the rear wall 23 of the tank 19 provides an additional coolingsurface for the air in the air ducts, as the front wall 20 of the casingis not a cooling surface. It will also readily be seen that the tank 19is entirely separate and independent of the air cooling and circulatingdevice 7, and therefore may be inserted and removed in a quick andefficient manner. 1

For the purpose of a complete understanding of the invention aparticular construction of an air cooling and circulating device hasbeen shown and described, but it will of course be understood that theinvention is not limited to this or any particular form of an aircooling and circulating device, but may be employed with anyrefrigerator or air cooling and circulating device of the general typeherein disclosed.

We claim:

1. The combination of an air cooling and circulating device comprising apair of upright, substantially parallel refrigerant containing members,spaced to form an air duct, and a hold-over within the air duct.

2. The combination of an air cooling and circulating device comprising apair of upright, substantially parallel refrigerant containing membersspaced to form an air duct, and a tank constituting a hold-over withinthe air duct and having its sides in close proximity with therefrigerant containing memers.

3. An air cooling and circulating device including a circulating conduitfor a liquid refrigerant, and an air duct provided with means in the airduct for malntalnlng the circulating air at a low temperature 1n theevent of failure of the circulation of the refrigerant.

4. An air cooling and circulating device comprising a series of uprightsubstantially parallel refrigerant containing members spaced to form airducts, each air duct being open at its top, closed at its back,-bottom,sides and front and provided with a discharge opening adjacent thebottom of the front, and ahold-over within the air duct.

5. An air cooling and circulating device pendent of the refrigerantcontaining members located within the air duct for cooling the airpassing therethrough.

7. An air cooling and circulating device comprising a pair of uprightsubstantially parallel refrigerant containing members spaced to form anair duct, and means for cooling the air passing through the air ductcomprising a tank of brine orthe like having straight vertical front andside walls and back and bottom walls formed of an arcuate member, saidtank being located within said air duct and having its side walls inclose proximity to the refrigerant containing members and cooledthereby.

8. An air cooling and circulating device comprising a pair of uprightsubstantially parallel refrigerant containing members spaced to form anair duct, said air duct being closed at its back and bottom by anarcuate plate, at its frontby a straight vert cal plate and at bothsides by the adjacent refrigerant containing members and provided with adischarge opening adjacent the '1 bottom of the front, and means forcooling the air passin through the air duct comprising a tank of brineor the like of the same general shape in cross section as the air duct,said tank being located within said air duct and having its side wallsin close proximity to the refri erant containing members and cooledthere y.

9. In an electric refrigerator, a circulatory system for a fluidrefrigerant, including a pair of refrigerant-containing and circulatingmembers spaced to form an air duct open at its top and having adischarge opening in one side adjacent the bottom thereof, and meansformaintaining a low temperature in the air ducts during a cessation of thecirculation of the refrigerant.

1.0. In an electric refrigerator, a circulatory system for a fluidrefrigerant, including a pair of refrigerant-containingand circulatingmembers spaced to form an air duct open at its top and having adischarge opening in one side adjacent the bottom thereof, and means formaintaining a low tem perature in the air duct during a cessation of thecirculation of the refrigerant comprising a brine tank in the air duct.I

11. In an electric refrigerator, a circulatory system for a fluidrefrigerant, including a pair of refrigerant-containing and circulatingmembers spaced to form an air duct open at its top and having adischarge opening in one side adjacent the bottom thereof, and means formaintaining a low temperature in the air ducts during a cessation of thecirculation of the refrigerant comprising a brine tank in the air duct,and having its sides in close proximity to the refrigerant containingand circulating members and cooled thereby.

12. An air cooling and circulating device for refrigeration purposes,comprising a plurality of upright air cooling and circulating ducts openat opposite ends and spaced to receive refrigerating means therebetween,the back wall of each duct being arcuate, the upper inlet end of eachduct opening upwardly and the bottom discharge end opening in asubstantially horizontal direction, and the upper portion of each ductbeing of greater cross-sectional area than the bottom discharge openingthereof.

13. An air cooling and circulating device for refrigeration purposes,comprising a plurality of upright air cooling and circulating ducts openat opposite ends and spaced to receive refrigerating means therebetween,the upper inlet end of each duct opening upwardly and the bottomdischarge end opening in a substantially horizontal direction, each airduct tapering downwardly from its inlet opening to its outlet opening.

14. An air cooling and circulating device for refrigeration purposes,comprising a plurality of upright air cooling and circulating ducts openat opposite ends and spaced to receive refrigerating means therebetween,the upper inlet end of each duct opening upwardly and the bottomdischarge end opening in a substantially horizontal direction, and theupper portion of each duct be-' each air duct opening upwardly, and thebottom portion ofeach air duct opening in a substantially horizontaldirection, and circulating conduits connecting the refrigerantcontainingmembers.

-16. An air cooling and circulating device for refrigeration purposes,comprising a series of upright refrigerant-containing members spaced toprovide air ducts therebetwecn, each refrigerant-containing member beingsegmental and having its rear edge curved downwardly and forwardly, anarcuate plate secured to the rear edges of the refrigerantcontainingmembers, a front plate secured to the front edges of therefrigerant-containing members and terminating short ofthe bottom ofsaid members, the refrigerant-containing members together with the frontand back plates defining upright air ducts having their tops openingupwardly and then lower portions opening horizontally, and c1r culationconduits connecting the refrigerantcontaining members.

-17. An air cooling and circulating device for refrigeration purposes,comprising a series of upright refrigerant-containing members spaced toprovide air ducts therebetween, each refrigerant-containing member beingsegmental with a substantially vertical front edge and a downwardly andforwardly curved rear edge, an arcuate plate secured to the rear edgesof the refrigerant-containing members, a front plate secured to theupright front edges of the refrigerant-containing members andterminating short of the bottoms thereof, the refrigerant-contain ingmembers together with the front and back plates defining upright airducts having their inlet upper ends opening upwardly and their dischargelower portions opening horizontally beneath the lower edge of the frontplate, the discharge portions being of less cross-sectional area thanthe inlet upper ends of the air ducts, and circulating conduitsconnecting the refrigerant-containing members.

18. An air cooling and circulating device for refrigeration purposes,comprising a series of upright refrigerant-containing members spaced todefine upright air cooling and circulating ducts therebetween, the upperinlet end of each air duct opening upwardly, the bottom discharge end ofeach series of upright segmental refrigerantcontaining members spaced todefine upright air cooling and circulating ducts therebetween and havingcurved rear edges, a curved back plate secured to the curved rear edgesof the refrigerant-containing members, and a front plate secured to thefront upright edges of the refrigerant-containing members andterminatingshort of the bottom thereof, the front and back plates together withadjacent refrigerant-containing members defining an air duct having itstop opening upwardly and its bottom portion opening in a substantiallyhorizontal direction beneath the lower edge of the front plate, andcirculating conduits connecting the refrigerantcontaining members.

20. An air cooling and circulating device for refrigeration purposes,comprising a serles of upright refrigerant-containing members spaced toprovide air ducts therebe tween, each refrigerant containing memberbeing segmental in shape and having its rear edge curved downwardly andforwardly, an arcuate back plate conforming'to the curved rear edges ofthe refrigerant-containing members, a front plate extending across theupper front edges of the refrigerant containing members and terminatingshort of the bottom of said members, the refrigerant contalning memberstogether with the front and back plates defining upright air ducts havmgtheir tops opening upwardly and their lower portions openinghorizontally, and circulating conduits connecting the refrigerant-.containing members. i

21. An air circulating device for refrigeratlon purposes, comprising aseries of alternate air and refrigerant compartments, the aircompartments having upper inlet ends opening upwardly and lowerdischarge ends opening in a substantially horizontal direction, therefrigerant compartments being closed at their tops and connected forthe circulation'of a refrigerating medium, and there being inlet andoutlet ports for the refrigerating medium.

WILLIAM B. PLYMPTON. DONALD PLYMPTON. RALPH A. PLYMPTON.

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